Cortana Moments/Gravemind Moments
Through the Halo 3 campaign, there are "Moments," where either Cortana or the Gravemind directly address the Master Chief. During these moments, the player's movements will slow drastically and a screen effect will alter the display of the game. For Cortana, this includes herself, as well as distorting the screen blue. Her voice will sound with a slight echo and her image will 'jump' around the screen a lot. During a Cortana moment there will be a noise sounding vaguely similar to the noise heard if you place a seashell on your ear ('the sound of the sea'). For the Gravemind, it changes the player's view, distorts the screen green, and tentacles can be seen at the edge of the screen, as well as the screen shaking violently. The Cortana moments depict her descent into rampancy, while the Gravemind moments are used to convey the point of view of the Flood. Checkpoints are usually attained after these moments. Transcripts Arrival *Cortana {V.O.}: "They let me pick, did I ever tell you that? ...choose whichever Spartan I wanted." *Cortana {V.O.}: "You know me. I did my research. Watched as you became the soldier we needed you to be." *Cortana {V.O.}: "Like the others, you were strong and swift and brave. A natural leader." *Cortana {V.O.}: "But you had something they didn't. Something no one saw..." *Cortana {V.O.}: "...but me." *Cortana {V.O.}: "Can you guess?" *Cortana {V.O.}: "Luck." *Cortana {V.O.}: "Was I wrong?" *(Cortana Moment): "Don't Make a Girl a Promise. If You Know You Can't Keep it. These moments happen during a cinematic and Cortana's face is not seen except for the last one listed. Sierra 117 *{Cortana Moment}: "Could you sacrifice me to complete your mission? Could you watch me die?" This and the last Arrival Moment are the only times anyone other than players notice them. Crows Nest *(Cortana Moment): "You have been called upon to serve." *(Cortana Moment): "You will be the protectors of Earth and all her colonies." *(Cortana Moment): "There will be a great deal of hardship on the road ahead." *(Cortana Moment): "You will become the best we can make you." *(Cortana Moment): "This place will become your home." *(Cortana Moment): "This place will become your tomb."-The screen turns black and Cortana's face is not seen. The Storm *(Cortana Moment): "I have defied Gods and Demons..." *(Cortana Moment): "I am your shield...I am your sword." *Cortana {V.O.}: "This is the way the world ends..."-This moment happens during a cinematic and Cortana's face is not seen. Floodgate *(Cortana Moment): "Chief. {background mumbling} I can't tell you everything...it's not safe. The Gravemind...it knows I'm in the sys... {background mumbling}." *(Gravemind moment): "Do not be afraid. I am peace...I am salvation." *(Gravemind moment): "I am a timeless chorus; join your voice with mine and sing victory everlasting!" The Covenant *(Cortana Moment): "It asked, and I answered. (Her tone turns bitter) For a moment of safety, I loosed damnation on the stars." *(Cortana Moment): "I'm a thief... but I keep what I steal." Cortana *(Gravemind Moment): "Child of my enemy, why have you come? I offer no forgiveness; a father's sins passed to his son." *(Cortana Moment): (A strange mix of cries of agony and manic laughter) *(Gravemind Moment): "Of course, you came for her.... We exist together now. Two corpses in one grave." *(Cortana Moment):"A collection of lies; that's all I am! Stolen thoughts and memories!" *(Gravemind Moment): "And yet, perhaps a part of her... remains?" *(Gravemind Moment): (angry) "Time has taught me patience! But basking in new freedom, I will know all that I possess!" *(Cortana Moment): "May I speak with you, please? ... What's your name? It's very nice to meet you! ... You like games? So do I." *(Cortana Moment) : "It was the coin's fault! I wanted to make you strong; keep you safe. I'm sorry, I can't." *(Cortana Moment): I'm just my mother's shadow. Don't look at me, don't listen! I'm not what I used to be..." *(Cortana Moment): (panicking) "I have walked the edge of the abyss. I have seen your future. And I have learned!" *Gravemind (Gravemind Moment): "''Submit'! End her torment and my own!" *(Cortana Moment): (panicking) "There will be no more sadness, no more anger, no more envy!" *(Gravemind Moment): (angry) "You will show me what she hides, or I shall feast upon your bones!!" *(Cortana Moment): (speaking in a flat, monotone voice as though brainwashed. Her image is green.) "This is UNSC AI Serial Number CTN0452-9. I am a monument to all your sins." *(Gravemind Moment): (roars) "At last, I see! Her secret is revealed!" Halo *(Gravemind Moment): "Do I take life, or Give it? Who is victim... and who is foe?" *(Gravemind Moment): "Defeat is simply the addition of time, to a sentence I never deserved." Trivia *The moments could be caused from the Chiefs CNI, because Cortana would be linked to it, and Gravemind would be able to control it from a corrupt Cortana. *If you take a screenshot of a moment in theater mode it will appear completely black in the screenshot gallery, adding some mystery to the entire perception. *During any of these moments, you are completely immune to damage and will not be attacked even by nearby enemies, causing anyone who goes into a Cortana or Gravemind moment to be potently invincible for the moments Cortana or Gravemind speaks. *Excluding Arrival (Where it should still be noted there is a Cortana moment before choosing your controls) there are 7 levels where the Gravemind and Cortana moments occur. *The moment in Sierra 117 is the only moment that anyone else apart from the player notices anything. *If you play on Co-op the moments will also appear on the extra player's screen, which makes no sense considering how Master Chief is only relevant to Cortana not Arbiter. *Excluding the moment in Arrival there are 28 moments in total. 28 is a multiple of 7. *If a moment occurs while you're driving a vehicle, it slows down as well, however if you are a passenger then the vehicle goes at normal speed. *Moments will not slow down a melee or attacking with something such as the Gravity Hammer. *The "It was the coin's fault" moment in the level Cortana is a reference before Master Chief was brought into the Spartan II program. He identified the side of a 21st century quarter that was about to the hit the ground before it did. *It is possible that the moments are triggered by Dr Halsey trying to contact Cortana, and giving her flashbacks of Dr. Halsey's memories which would also be Cortana's as she is a flash clone of Dr Halsey's brain. *During the level The Covenant as you enter the Control Room during the Cortana moment if you look at the screens that show the Prophet during the cinematics you can see the same thing there. *In one of the last Cortana moments, she appears to be green. This is probably because she is turning rampant. The evidence is in the fact that in Halo: Combat Evolved, after spending 12 hours in Installation 4's control room, Cortana turns slightly rampant and turns green. It's assumable she begins turning rampant after part of her gets corrupted by the Gravemind. It is also possible (actually more likely) that she turn green because Gravemind is corrupting her, since his moment is also green. *In The Level Cortana there is a secret terminal in the room where she says "So you like Games? So Do I", when accessed Cortana will completely take over John's HUD (as well as any other players, including Elites). * In Halo 3 she repeated lines Dr. Halsey has said before such as "You will be the protector of Earth and all her colonies." which Dr. Halsey says to the 6 year old Spartans in Fall Of Reach. Cortana also recites a few lines from the Cortana Letters in Halo 3 in some of her messages and in the announcement trailer. *Because the Flood can instantly acquire the memories of their host, it is assumed that Gravemind is taking the memories of Dr. Catherine Halsey and using them to get to John and stop him in his journey. *Apparently, Cortana and Gravemind Moments cause the player's vitals signs to hit KIA, which may be the reason you slow down. See Also Cortana Gravemind Images Image:Cortanam.jpg|A Cortana Moment. Image:Cortanam1.jpg|Another Cortana Moment. Image:Gavem1.jpg|A Gravemind Moment. Image:Cortanam2.jpg|A Cortana moment where she appears as green. Image:Picture_5.png|A Cortana Moment From the e3 2006 Trailer